Only In America With Ali Noorani

Ali talks to Ami Dar, the CEO and founder of Idealist, one of the most popular nonprofit resources on the web. Idealist helps people build — or begin — a career in the nonprofit world by posting hundreds of thousands of jobs each year. Born in Israel and raised in Peru and Mexico, Ami has always had a passion for social justice, and an ambition to connect people who want to do good together. They spoke about his journey to success, the uniqueness of American opportunity, and why he founded Idealist.

Vivek Venugopal is an improviser, comedian, actor and musician. He’s the director of revenue at Speechless, Inc., which teaches an improv comedy approach to public speaking. Vivek and his business partner Anthony Veneziale, perform an improv show called “American Immigrants.” He and Ali talked about using comedy to help people reflect on their own immigrant heritage, and the importance of effectively telling your story.  

As the executive director of the Austin Baptist Association, Dr. David Smith works with congregations to create communities where all residents feel welcome in the pews. He also helps connect congregants who want to learn more about immigration with mission opportunities across the border in Mexico. He tells Ali about he’s learned how important it is for people to experience the issue firsthand  — and how eager they are to share their stories with people back home.

Joe Troop is a fiddler, singer-songwriter and composer originally from North Carolina who moved to Argentina a decade ago. In Buenos Aires, he founded the Latin bluegrass band Che Apalache with band members from Argentina, Mexico and the U.S. The “Latin-grass” quartet has written songs about social and political issues, like the border wall and Dreamers. He told Ali how they’re using their unique blend of sounds to advocate for immigrants.

As the U.S. continues to become a richer, more diverse society, it’s no surprise that we experience growing pains and identity crises along the way. Ali talks to Cherie Harder, President of the Trinity Forum, about how she works at the intersection of faith and politics to address polarization. They talk about what the idea of America means and how to find unifying forces that bind us together as Americans.

Ali talks to author and former speechwriter for President Obama, Adam Frankel, about the trauma that migrants face, how that can affect future generations, and how to address it. In his new book, “The Survivors: A Story of War, Inheritance, and Healing,” Adam describes his family’s journey from the Holocaust to America and the ways intergenerational trauma has shaped his identity in ways he never expected.

Felipe Jacome is a photographer and artist focusing on “issues of human mobility and human rights.” His latest project, “Caminantes,” documents immigrant journeys — and the reasons for them — through portraits of Venezuelan refugees. Born in Ecuador, Felipe immigrated to the U.S. with his family as a teenager and decided to pursue photography after producing a photo essay on a trip to Mexico’s southern border. He and Ali spoke about conditions in Venezuela, migration in Latin America, and what he wants people to take away from his work.

South Tulsa Baptist Church in suburban Tulsa, Oklahoma, is helping immigrants from more than 30 countries thrive and navigate a new life through their international and refugee ministry. Ali talks to Eric Costanzo, the church’s lead pastor, and Cesar Quintero, an active member of the church community and an immigrant from Venezuela. What followed was an inspiring conversation about faith, hope and community. Plus, hear Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford discuss how his faith has led him to urge for a compassionate approach to immigration.

  Oscar Cásares is the author of Brownsville, Amigoland and the new novel Where We Come From. He teaches creative writing at the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the border town of Brownsville, Texas, Oscar grew up surrounded by stories of life on the border. He and Ali spoke about what led him to become a writer, how he came to identify as a Mexican American, and the power of storytelling.

Ali talks to author and comedian Maeve Higgins, who is host of the podcast “Maeve in America: Immigration IRL.” Maeve brings listeners “funny, beautiful and sometimes maddening immigration stories, told by the people who’ve lived them.” An Irish immigrant herself, Maeve hopes to show native-born Americans how similar immigrants’ hopes, fears and dreams are to their own.

Ali chats with Mike Masserman, Head of Global Policy and Social Impact at Lyft, about the ways the ride-sharing company supports their immigrant drivers by helping them improve their English skills. Plus, Ali hears from Fatimo Akinlade, a Lyft driver who moved to Chicago after facing hardship in Nigeria. She talks about why she’s eager to participate in the classes and better her English. And Teresita Wisell, Executive Director of the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education, talks about how language learning is a key part of how immigrants integrate into communities across the U.S.  

  For this week’s Citizenship Day episode, Ali speaks with Valdeta Mehanja, a MAVNI program recruit and Army Black Hawk pilot-in-training who is currently serving in the Alabama National Guard. Originally from Kosovo, Val spent time in German refugee camps before working as a military contractor for the U.S., where she realized her passion for military service. She and Ali spoke about her journey to the U.S., and what it was like for her to become a citizen.   Ali also speaks to Laura Bingham of the Open Society Justice Initiative about their new report, Unmaking Americans: Insecure Citizenship in the United States, which looks at the threats currently facing the longstanding protections of U.S. Citizenship.

Sheriff Peter Koutoujian of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is dedicated to building trust with all residents of the incredibly large and diverse county. As a former state representative and a leader in state and national law enforcement associations, his position as an elected official gives him a unique platform to understand the narrative around public safety and law enforcement in America. He and Ali discuss the local effects of federal immigration policies and the importance of public service. Plus — how police chiefs and sheriffs are showing they’re committed to serving all community members, regardless of immigration status.

Matthew McCarthy is the CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, where he leads a company known for its commitment to advocating for immigrants and refugees, along with a plethora of other important social issues. Matthew and Ali talked about what it’s like to lead Ben & Jerry’s,  and the role that social and political activism plays in the past, present and future of the company.

For this week’s episode, Ali talked to Ado Mustafic, a refugee from Bosnia who lives in Twin Falls, Idaho. Fleeing the ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims, his family embarked on a two-year journey crossing borders as refugees. Ultimately, they resettled in the U.S. and started over in Idaho. Ado talks about growing up amidst the war in Bosnia that tore his family apart and coming to the U.S. just two days before 9/11. He tells Ali about what it’s like living in Twin Falls, how he feels unsafe worshipping at local mosques in the U.S., and about the Americans in his community who have welcomed him.

Ali talks to Jason DeParle, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and veteran New York Times reporter. He is the author of a new book called A Good Provider is One Who Leaves: One Family and Migration in the 21st Century, which tells the story of migration through a multigenerational saga of one Filipino family. Jason tells Ali about the sacrifices the family made to escape poverty and how they found home in the United States — and how their story gives insight into what migration looks like today in this new age of global migration.

  This week, Ali chats with Karen Gonzalez, an immigrant from Guatemala who now advocates for refugees as the Director of Human Resources at World Relief. She is the author of the new book, The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong. As an immigrant, an advocate and a Christian, she discusses her perspective on our nation’s immigration debate. She and Ali talked about her work, her book and what she hopes people of faith will take away from reading it.

Continuing our focus on immigration in Ohio, Ali talks to Eileen Wilson, the director of Refugee & Immigrant Ministries at Building Hope in the City Cleveland. She oversees an incredible range of programs that help new residents transform a foreign place into their new home. They talk about Eileen’s immigrant story, love for her hometown, and the importance of tough love in her work.

Adrian Bota is an entrepreneur based in Cleveland, Ohio, and the founder of A2 Milk. Adrian sat down with Ali at an immigration convening in Columbus, Ohio, to share how his immigrant journey molded him into the entrepreneur he is today, and how his family went from escaping religious and political persecution in Romania to thriving in Cleveland.

  This week Ali talks with Karen Narasaki, a civil rights leader and human rights activist who is an expert on the census. She spent two decades as president and executive director of the premier civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights under President Obama. Karen tells Ali about her efforts to organize the financial and political resources necessary for a full and clean 2020 Census.